State v. Forrest

670 So. 2d 1263, 1996 WL 78348
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 14, 1996
Docket95-KA-31
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 670 So. 2d 1263 (State v. Forrest) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Forrest, 670 So. 2d 1263, 1996 WL 78348 (La. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

670 So.2d 1263 (1996)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Clinton H. FORREST.

No. 95-KA-31.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

February 14, 1996.

*1265 Linda Davis-Short, Staff Appellate Counsel, Indigent Defender Board, Gretna, for appellant.

John M. Mamoulides, District Attorney and Leigh Ann Wall, Assistant District Attorney, 24th Judicial District, Parish of Jefferson, Gretna, for appellee.

Before GRISBAUM, GOTHARD and CANNELLA, JJ.

CANNELLA, Judge.

Defendant, Clinton H. Forrest, appeals from his conviction for second degree murder and sentence to life in prison. For the reasons which follow, we affirm the conviction, amend the sentence and affirm as amended and remand.

On the morning of January 13, 1994, Delceena Smith (Delceena) was with her three children at her home at 611½ Americus Street in Gretna. The victim, Danny Stevenson (Stevenson), an acquaintance of more than two years and Delceena's former boyfriend, was also at the apartment, having spent the night there. After the children left for school, Delceena went into the bathroom to take a shower. Stevenson sat on the toilet seat and talked with her.

Delceena finished showering at about 7:30 a.m. and was stepping out of the bathtub when there was a knock on the front door. Stevenson left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Stevenson opened the front door and Delceena heard him say, "I thought I told you not to come around here no more." Another man answered, "You don't know who you're f—ing with. I'll blow your brains out." Stevenson responded, "Well, if you're going to shoot me, go ahead. You have to kill me." Delceena then heard a gunshot.

After a brief hesitation, Delceena went from the bathroom to the bedroom, where she wrapped herself with a bed sheet. She then went to the kitchen and found Stevenson on the floor, wounded but still alive. She immediately called 911 and reported the shooting. Officer Dwayne Munch (Munch) of the Gretna police arrived five to seven minutes later and EMT's arrived shortly thereafter. Stevenson was pronounced dead at 8:12 that morning.

Munch interviewed Delceena and she described the shooting. She did not, however, disclose defendant's involvement even though she later stated that she recognized the second voice at the door as that of defendant, Clinton Forrest, her current boyfriend. Delceena received four telephone calls at her home after police arrived, including one from defendant, although she did not disclose that to the officers at the time. Munch, the crime *1266 scene technician, took gunshot residue swabs from Delceena's hands.

Other officers, including Sergeant Neal Giroir (Giroir), arrived at the scene. Giroir met with Delceena. Because she was the only person at the scene when the shooting took place, he considered her a suspect in the murder. Giroir transported Delceena to the police station, where she was advised of her rights and was told she was a suspect. She was at the station until 1:00 a.m. on January 14. She spoke with two or three police officers during that time, including Giroir. She gave her written consent to a search of her apartment. At about 2:00 p.m. on January 13, after being at the police station for six hours, she informed the officers, for the first time, that she believed that defendant was the murderer and she identified defendant in a photographic lineup.

Arnesta Smith (Arnesta), Delceena's sister, was interviewed by the police. She was concerned for her sister's safety and telephoned Delceena immediately upon learning of the shooting. Delceena assured her that she had not been harmed. Arnesta gave a statement later that day at the police station. However, she did not tell the police that she had any knowledge of the crime or facts concerning the crime, although she later testified to the contrary.

On the evening of January 13, defendant telephoned Veronica St. Amant (Veronica), Delceena and Arnesta Smith's mother, and told her that he would be going to her house. Shortly thereafter, Delceena telephoned her mother from the police station and Veronica informed her that defendant had contacted her. Delceena then gave her mother a full account of the homicide. Police officers informed Veronica over the phone that they were going to her house to question her about the case.

On that evening, defendant arrived at Veronica's house at 4127 Lac Cuteure Street and she allowed him inside. Defendant asked her if she had any money and she said that she did not. He told her that he had "killed a nigger" and that the victim had "squealed like a pig."

At about 7:20 p.m. Detectives Laun Boudreau (Boudreau) and Claude Koenig (Koenig) of the Gretna Police Department arrived at Veronica's home in an unmarked vehicle and dressed in plainclothes. Noting that the apartment was well lit, they knocked on the front door. When there was no immediate response, Koenig went toward the back entrance of the duplex. Defendant, still inside the apartment, pulled his gun and went to the front door. Feigning a woman's voice, he asked who was there. Boudreau identified himself as a police officer. Defendant responded by running from the house through a rear entrance. Koenig heard a disturbance and then saw defendant run across the back yard. Defendant jumped the back yard fence, dropping a gun on the ground. Koenig yelled, "Stop, police", and pursued defendant. After chasing him a short distance, Koenig caught him and placed him under arrest. Defendant struggled with Koenig and resisted being handcuffed. Boudreau assisted in subduing defendant and there was a brief scuffle before the officers succeeded in handcuffing him. Boudreau read defendant his rights.

Koenig walked back to where the gun lay on the ground and watched over it until the crime scene technicians arrived.

Defendant was transported to the Gretna Police Criminal Investigations Division, where he was again apprised of his rights. Defendant's hands were swabbed for gunshot residue. Defendant waived his rights and said that he wished to give a statement. He refused the use of any recording devices. In response to questioning by Giroir and Detective John Davis, defendant stated that he had in fact made threats against Stevenson, but that he was "just talking." Defendant denied any knowledge of Stevenson's death. After one-half hour of questioning, during which time he made no inculpatory statements, defendant said that he wanted an attorney and medical treatment. The officers terminated the interview and sent defendant to the hospital for medical treatment.

Dr. Frazer MacKenzie of the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office performed the autopsy on Stevenson's body. He found that Stevenson died of a gunshot wound to the chest, *1267 which went through the victim's left lung, aorta and right lung. The doctor removed bullet fragments from the victim's body. However, firearms expert, Louise Walzer (Walzer), found that the fragments did not have enough surface for any kind of match to the gun that was seized.

A grand jury investigation was conducted. Among other evidence presented, Arnesta changed her testimony from that given to the officers at the time of the homicide and implicated defendant.

On February 24, 1994, the Jefferson Parish Grand Jury indicted defendant for the crime of second degree murder, in violation of 14:30.1. On March 18, 1994 defendant was arraigned on the charge and entered a plea of not guilty. A jury trial was conducted on October 12 through 14, 1994.

At trial, Arnesta testified that she knew defendant for about two years and knew that he was a friend of Delceena's.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Sandifer
249 So. 3d 142 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2018)
State v. Jackson
880 So. 2d 69 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2004)
State v. Hall
875 So. 2d 996 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2004)
State v. Walker
836 So. 2d 618 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)
State v. Robertson
831 So. 2d 389 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)
State v. Tapps
832 So. 2d 995 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)
State v. Cassard
811 So. 2d 1071 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)
State v. Edwards
790 So. 2d 109 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)
State v. Richardson
770 So. 2d 454 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2000)
State v. Maise
759 So. 2d 884 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2000)
State v. Smith
757 So. 2d 74 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2000)
State v. Simmons
738 So. 2d 1131 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Fauchetta
738 So. 2d 104 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Green
735 So. 2d 723 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Celestine
735 So. 2d 109 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Herrera
729 So. 2d 75 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Guidroz
721 So. 2d 480 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1998)
State v. McQuaig
718 So. 2d 535 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1998)
Baxter v. State
723 So. 2d 810 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1998)
State v. Evans
712 So. 2d 941 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
670 So. 2d 1263, 1996 WL 78348, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-forrest-lactapp-1996.